KC9BQA

6:30am Thur.

WB9LYH calls the 144.240 net every Wed. at 8pm central/9pm eastern from EN54cl, Central WI.  His antenna pattern starts out looking NE into Upper MI, then soon looking E, SE, S, SW, W, NW and N over the next hour or so.   All licensed amateurs are welcome.  The net is informal, listen along or say hello when it’s convenient.  The goal is to increase activity on “weak-signal” portions of 2 meters.  Want to also remind VHF’ers that WB9LYH loves to push the propagation limits.  DX is *always* encouraged to give it a try.   With stacked 17B2’s, 500 watts and a ridgetop QTH, WB9LYH’s signal gets out a very long way.

On to WB9LYH’s net report from last night.  Mark had fun; he reported good propagation all over.  With dense fog setting up over most of the Upper Midwest, I bet the bands were in good shape.  Warmer air aloft moving in over cooler air at the surface is a great recipe for band enhancement.   I imagine there’s great conditions this morning, too.  Get on and call CQ.
WB9LYH had 16 check-ins last night:  N9OLT EN64;  K8CIT EN85;  K8GDT EN91;  WB0DGF and N9OJH EN63;  KD8LDX;  N8WNA EN82;  N9GUU and KC9CLM EN52;  N9JBW EN61;  WA9BNZ EN40;  KG0SJ EN22;  KB9LUK EN34;  W0ANH EN47;  N9AAO EN56 and KB8GUE EM89.  That’s a nice contact into southern OH with KB8GUE.  Right in that 400-420 mile range.  Also want to welcome K8CIT to our net.

On Monday night, K8TQK in EM89, south-central OH had 24 check-ins.  Bob calls a net at 8:30pm eastern (that time remains the same, year-round) on 144.252 MHz.  Yes, 144.252, that’s not a misprint.  K8TQK uses 144.252 to avoid a bad birdie he has on 144.250.  This past Monday, K8TQK’s check-ins were:  N8WNA and N8AIA EN82;  KG9QT EN61;  VA3VEC FN14;  K8GDT and KD8FHY EN91;  VE3YCU FN02;  AC3L FN00;  W2UAD FN13;  WD8CHR EN90;  W9KXI FN12;  KB3TNZ FN10;  N1GC EM95;  N4TLL EM87;  WA4NJP, W4IMP and W4TMW EM84;  WD4NMV EM85;  KA2KQM EM74;  KB8GUE and W8PU EM89;  KY4MRG EM77;  WB9LYH EN54 and KC9CLM EN52.

What great nets.  Wonderful to see guys getting out 200, 300, sometimes 400-450 miles on 2 meter SSB, with horizontally-polarized antennas (preferably higher-gain yagis, for best range) .

Thur. morning

WB9LYH reported a good net last night.  Mark had 17 check-ins — N9OLT EN64;  WB0DGF and N9OJH EN63;  N8WNA EN82;  N9GUU, KC9CLM and WB9TFH EN52;  K9SLQ and N9EGT EN70;  AB9QH EN62;  K9CCL EN61;  K9LQZ EM68;  W9BBP EN40;  KG0SJ and WB0YNA EN22;  N9AAO EN56 and W0ANH EN47.   I want to welcome 2 new calls to this net — WB0DGF on the MI side of EN63, and N9EGT who often check-ins with K8TQK’s 144.252 net.
Nice to see K9LQZ in the mix.  Remember that K9LQZ in EM68, southern IN, often calls around to his E, S and W on 144.240 on Wed. nights, to help pick up guys that might not have reach into WI.  Lowell tends to do this from 9:20-9:40 eastern time.   I’m told that KI4ROF in EM55 checked in with K9LQZ last night, for instance.
K8TQK had 23 check-ins to his 144.252 net on Monday night.  K8TQK is located in EM89je, south-central OH.  Bob starts at 8:30pm eastern time, 52 weeks a year.  His antenna pattern is N, then NE, E, SE, S, SW, W and NW.
K8TQK’s list from Oct. 21st includes:  N8AIA EN82;  W8SOL EN71;  K8GDT and NF8O EN91;  WD8CHR EN90;  W2UAD FN13;  VA3VEC FN14;  AC3L FN00;  N4TLL EM87;  WA4NJP, W4LES, W4IMD and W4VAS EM84;  K4LY EM85;  KY4MRG EM77;  WA4REE EM65;  KI4ROF EM55;  WB8ART EM79;  W8PU and KB8GUE EM89;  N9JBW, KG9QT and K9CCL EN61.

Noon Thursday
After this report is done, I’ll be as caught up as I’ve been in a long time.  Feel good about that.  Now all the various nets and activity nights are in a day-by-day format.   Please refer hams to the posts at kc9bqa.com dated Oct 13, Oct 15 and Oct 17, 2013.  We all know how good it feels to turn on your rig and actually hear signals!   Many times hams just don’t know where or when to tune into guaranteed activity.  That’s why I do this blog, do the emails, do the promotion — to let hams know where/when they can find signals on SSB portions of bands like 50, 144, 222 and 432 MHz.    It’s a good time to help promote weak-signal V/UHF because there are definitely more nets and activity nights than there were 6-7 years ago.   Thanks to the many guys out there who are helping.   Both net controls and check-ins.

Checking into nets is nice, but it’s even more important to call your own CQ’s.    If enough VHF/UHF’ers called CQ in various directions for 15 minutes once or twice a week, we’d be all set, activity-wise.   There are literally 100’s of weak-signal V/U’ers still out there, in a several-hundred mile radius of WI.   I’d have never guessed that, before I started doing all this back in 2007-2008.  The trick is to get on the air,  just a little more often.   And I should lose 30 pounds by Thanksgiving, ahem.   Neither may happen, but let’s not fool ourselves — we always need more CQ’ers, at any time.

Enough preaching, on to the net reports —

Last night, WB9LYH heard from 18 hams, including several who are new to the 144.240 Wed. net, and a father/son team.  Those are always fun.
Check-ins were:  N9OLT EN64;  N8WNA EN82;  KB9LUK, KC9TXM and KC9YGY EN34 (KC9TXM and KC9YGY are father and son.  All 3 EN34 check-ins are new to this net.  A hearty welcome to all three of you.  Thanks for stopping by.)   Continuing with the net report — AB9QH EN62;  K9CCL and N9JBW EN61;  W8SOL EN71;  KA9MFY EN40;  KC9CLM EN52;  W9WZJ EM69;  W0WOI, WB0YWW and KG0SJ EN22;  N9ISN EN44;  W0ANH EN47 and last, a mystery check-in that net control couldn’t quite make contact with.  Might have sounded like WB9BGU, but that isn’t a valid call at qrz.com.  If anyone knows who that was, let me know and I’ll set the record straight.
I also see that KA9MFY is a new call to the net.  Welcome to you, Wes, and thanks for the email a few weeks back.  Glad you made the trip up from west-central IL.
Remember that the 144.240 long-range net from WI is on every Wed. at 8pm central.  WB9LYH is usually net control and he’s in EN54cl, middle of WI.  Mark’s antenna pattern is NE, then E, SE, S, SW, W, NW and N over the next hour or so.  Mark has a big signal from a great QTH and can get out several hundred miles any old time.  He also loves DX, so spread the word to stations in that 300-700 mile range.  Tune in on Wed. nights and see what you hear.

 
Moving on to K8TQK’s 144.252 net report from Monday…
K8TQK calls a great net every Monday at 8:30pm eastern from EM89je, south-central OH.  Bob starts out looking North, then NE, E, SE, S, SW, W and NW over the next 45-60 minutes.  He has amazing range and all hams are welcome to stop by and say hello.
K8TQK had 22 check-ins Monday night:   N8WNA and N8AIA EN82;  VA3VEC FN14;  W2UAD FN13;  VE3YCU FN02;  WD8CHR EN90;  W8SOL EN71;  WT8E, KC8QDQ and W8PU EM89;  N1GC EM95;  N4TLL EM87;  KY4MRG EM77;  W4VAS EM84;  KI4ROF EM55;  WA4REE EM65;  N9EGT EN70;  NR8O, WB8ART and KB9RDS EM79;  WA9KPZ EN52 and N9JBW EN61.

If you don’t know what all the EN82/FN14/EM89 wording is, those are grid squares.  Google “grid squares” or “maidenhead grid squares” and you’ll learn something new.  Then print out your own grid square map (again, use Google) and start keeping track of where everyone is.  When you look at the territory that K8TQK’s net covers, it’s just astounding.  Joe Q. Ham has no idea that contacts of 300, 400, 500 miles can be made on 2 meters, on a night with normal band conditions.    From south-central Ohio, K8TQK worked stations as far north as Ontario, as far east as North Carolina, as far west as southwest Tennessee and as far northwest as Chicago.    On 2 meters — the same band that most hams think has “line-of-sight” range.

   7:30am Thursday

   This is the last post concerning weekly activity on the SSB portions of 50, 144, 222 and 432 MHz.  The posts mostly concern the Midwest/Great Lakes.  If you visit other posts dated Oct 13, 15 and 17, 2013 at kc9bqa.com you will have the most current info for Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday that I know of.   Readers — feel free to send updates or corrections. 
   Readers — also get this info to your ham buddies.  So many hams now have rigs with 50, 144 and 432 MHz capability but many times, they casually tune in, don’t hear any signals, lose interest and give up.  This is a correctable situation.  Let Joe Q. Ham know where and when they can actually hear activity.  Then once they do hear activity, let them know about horizontally-polarized gain antennas, low-loss coax, etc.   All the improvements that will increase their DX and fun capability on SSB/CW/Digital portions of the VHF/UHF bands. 

   
      Every Friday at 7pm central time, there’s the Chicago/Ohio net on 144.215.   I hope this net is still running; I’m going off of 2011-2012 info.  Net control is  KD8IME  in EN71, NW Ohio, and I know Bob has a very healthy signal.   Bob has told me that they enjoy new check-ins, so don’t worry too much about the “Chicago/Ohio” name.   If you can hear KD8IME on 144.215 any old Friday at 7pm central time, then say hello and tell him KC9BQA sent you.   

   Next up on Fridays is a 6m net from NE Ohio, grid square EN91.   This net is on 50.165 at 9pm eastern every Friday.   It’s called by Jim K8ZWY in EN91kk.    They apparently cover western NY & PA and eastern OH.   If you’re within a few hundred miles of Cleveland, I’d check this one out and see how well they get out.   This info came from N8WNA John in EN82, Detroit area.   

    Saturday evenings, at 7pm eastern/6pm central, there’s 6m activity on 50.170 MHz.     KD8IME is again net control from EN71, NW Ohio.   He starts out calling to his SW, then goes clockwise a full 360 from there.   Meaning SW, then W, NW, N, NE, E, SE and S.   He has a nice signal on 2m, so I assume he’d get out pretty well on 6m.

7am Thursday

I should be able to post this week’s net reports sometime today.  WB9LYH had 18 check-ins last night, and I need to scroll thru the chat archives at ON4KST.com to see who all checked in with K8TQK back on Monday night.  Check back for that net report later today.

This post builds on the posts here at kc9bqa.com dated Oct. 13 and Oct. 15 (2013).  I’m trying to present all the options I know of for hearing guaranteed activity on bands like 50, 144, 222 and 432 MHz.   Save this info and spread it to other hams who don’t know where or when to hear signals.

Since today is Thursday, this is a timely post.
Every Thursday you have the long-running Q5 net out of EN61 Chicago, called by N9JBW at 7pm central, on 144.220.   EDIT July 2015 — I believe this net now has started at 6:30pm central for some time.  Visit them yourselves and verify.
Believe they start out looking east and then go clockwise a full 360 from there.  This is a friendly, active net and thru the years, N9JBW has always let others know they are welcome to stop by and check it out.   The Q5 net now has a website at http://n9abf.com/q5net/   Typing www.q5net.net into my web browser got me there, also.
There’s also a net on 144.250 out of SE OH, grid square EM89ud on Thursdays at 8pm eastern.  Your net controls are AB8XG Kenny (primary) and KD8DJE Russell (backup).   I mention this net because we have visitors from MI, IN and OH.

The next item is about the only time you will see me mention FM in this blog.  Not because I have anything against FM, but because the focus with this blog is on the SSB side of VHF/UHF.
I mention WV9E’s Thursday night 146.46 FM net because I know Dave personally helps promote SSB activity on 2m in his part of the world.
Here’s the details:   If you’re within 100 miles or so of La Crosse, WI, grid square EN43, remember WV9E is in the 4th year of his 146.460 net, at 8:30pm central time, every Thursday.  This net is on the simplex portion of the FM band.  No offsets or P/L’s.  All are welcome, and I’m sure they’d appreciate a DX-type check-in.  WV9E has been proactive about getting more V/UHF activity in/near the La Crosse area.  Dave also has a ham website at www.wv9e.net.  His specific webpage for the 146.46 FM net on Thursdays is:  http://wv9e.net/laxfmnet.htm
SWITCHING TO 50 MHz… Every Thursday, there’s a  6m net called from EM38, Missouri.  It’s on 50.135 at 9pm central time.  They usually have a couple of guys looking in different directions for check-ins, so point your 6m yagi toward Central MO and see what you hear.   The net control possibilities are KD0AKF (primary), K0WYN and WA2KBZ (backups).   If, for some reason, this net is no longer happening, please let me know.  In fact, always let me know about any SSB net that may have started up, or gone off the air.  (Within roughly 200-500 miles of WI)

FINALLY ON TO 432…  N4PZ in EN52gb is now hosting 432.100 (now 432.110) activity on Thursday nights too.
EDIT  July 2015 — This activity has grown and expanded to 7 nights a week and they’ve now (wisely) moved to 432.110.  AGAIN, the 432 MHz activity is on 432.110 every night starting around 8[m.  Visit the ON4KST.com chat, N4PZ updates frequently there.   Steve’s location is a little bit SW of Rockford, IL, a good hour west of Chicago.  This is the only regularly-scheduled 432 activity I know of in the Midwest/Great Lakes.  It is worth reminding readers that N4PZ has a huge 432 signal.  His territory includes anything within 500 miles of Rockford, IL, under flat conditions.  Nights with band enhancement??  Who knows?
I see that N4PZ is now using the ON4KST.com chat, which should help, as the signals on 432 are pointy, and you can easily miss contacts if you are looking the wrong way or miss net control when he turns the antennas your way.   If you don’t know about the free and no-BS ham chat rooms at ON4KST.com, read about it here:  http://kc9bqa.com/?p=1072  As of fall 2013, nearly 4000 USA/Canada hams have registered for the IARU Region 2 Chat for 144-432 MHz.  Other bands/rooms are available, too.  It’s a great resource.

I also want to make a post about Friday and Saturday options.  They center on OH and KD8IME.  Let me dig around for that info… I’ll try to post it shortly.  Then all 7 nights of the week will be covered.

7am Tuesday

WB9LYH would like everyone to know that he will be back calling the 144.240 long-range net from WI on Wed. nights.
His schedule looks good for the rest of October and into November.  WB9LYH’s QTH is EN54cl, central WI, near WI Rapids.   Mark’s antenna pattern is to start out looking NE, then E, SE, S, SW, W, NW and N over the next hour or so.
The 144.240 net start time remains at 8pm central until November 6th.

Effective November 6th, the 144.240 Wed. net from WI will change to winter hours.  This will mean a 7pm central/8pm eastern start time until at least next April.  Please help spread the word. 

***EDIT, EDIT  July 12, 2015.  Doing some housekeeping to old posts like these and everyone needs to know that since 2014, the 144.240 Wed. net called by WB9LYH in EN54cl, Central WI now STARTS AT 8PM CENTRAL ALL 52 WEEKS OF THE YEAR.  This is a permanent change***

This only pertains to the 144.240 long-range net from WI on Wed. nights.

The 144.240 Long-Range (SSB mode) net from WI is the only Wed.  activity I’m aware of within a few hundred miles.   All licensed amateurs are welcome.  The net is informal and the purpose is to promote activity on the SSB side of 2m.  As always, please help spread this info to interested hams everywhere.  KC9BQA.com exists to show hams where and when you can find activity on the “weak-signal” (or SSB/CW mode, for superior range) portions of bands like 50, 144, 222 and 432 MHz.

Sometime tomorrow night or early Thursday, I will make another post about your options on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.  Everyone in the Midwest should know about N9JBW’s long-running, active and friendly Q5 net out of EN61, south side of Chicago.  It’s on 144.220 every Thursday at 7pm central.

   6:45 am Tuesday

   The 144.240 Long-Range Net from WI is the only scheduled activity on Wednesdays that I’m aware of within a couple hundred miles of WI.  There is also Wed. activity out of EN93, Guelph, ONT and EM13, an hour NW of Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX. 

   VE3XTM was mentioned in the Monday night activity post below.  Terry calls a net on 144.245 at 9pm eastern time every Monday and Wednesday.  He also calls a 432.210 (yes .210) net on Fridays at 9pm eastern.  A separate post about the VE3XTM nets out of EN93 is here:  http://kc9bqa.com/?p=6606   Look toward EN93 on those nights and see what you hear.  I’ve emailed with VE3XTM in the past, and I can assure you he’d be happy for a DX-type check-in.   EN93 isn’t that far, on a night with good conditions. 

   The Wed. net out of EM13, Dallas/Ft. Worth area requires long-haul tropo for us WI readers to reach, but I mention it anyway because we have some Plains visitors to this blog, plus it’s a long-running net with good range and lots of check-ins. 
   The EM13 net is on 144.250 at 9pm central and is called by W5FKN, in Decatur, TX.  Antenna pattern is to start south, and then go counter-clockwise from there, or E, N and W.   EDIT — May 1, 2014.  The EM13 net now starts at 8pm central on Weds.  This new start time is via an email from net control to the SWOT list.  (SWOT stands for SideWindersOnTwo, they have a website at www.swotrc.net)

   11:30am Sunday

   Continuing with the Fall 2013 posts highlighting known sources of SSB activity on bands like 50, 144, 222 and 432 MHz.  

   Every Tuesday, there’s 6m and 2m activity out of EN72, Kalamazoo, MI. 
TUE 7:00 PM Eastern–144.222Mhz– AM
TUE 7:30 PM Eastern–144.222 Mhz–SSB
TUE 9PM Eastern–50.3 Mhz–West MI Six Meter SSB net
TUE 9:30PM Eastern–50.4 mhz–West MI Six Meter AM Net
Net times may vary…

   Not sure of who the net controls are, nor am I sure if these nets have a lot of activity or check-ins from multiple states.  But since Kalamazoo is right across the lake from WI, I am including these nets.  If anyone has more info, please share it.

  11am Sunday

   This post will concern only 222 Tuesday.  I will make a separate post about Tuesday activity on other bands shortly.   
   
   222 Tuesday is not really a directed net.  Rather, it’s a nationwide activity night where all 222 MHz ops are encouraged to get on, call CQ, turn the antenna, see who all is around.  This happens on/near 222.100 from roughly 7-9pm in your local time zone.  One pocket of guaranteed activity on Tuesday is centered on MI/OH.  K8TQK puts his huge signal to work, starting about 7-7:30pm eastern time.  Bob gets things stirred up in a multi-state area.  You can follow along via the ON4KST.com chat.  
   The guys in the MI/OH area will be happy to hear more signals from WI, so jump in there any old time.   Or call around on your own.  Again, 222 Tuesday is not a net.  Don’t sit back and wait for someone else to start something.  Do your own CQ’ing and encourage others to do the same.   222 Tuesday only works if many guys get on and make contacts. 

   The info below is for those who are new to the “weak-signal” (meaning SSB/CW mode, using horizontally-polarized gain antennas for maximum DX potential) side of VHF/UHF. 

   222 is not nearly as popular a band as 6m or 2m SSB is.  Reason for this a lack of commercially-available rigs.  (Again, I’m talking about strictly the SSB side here, which is where the DX is found.  There are plenty of options for getting on 223-225 MHz, FM mode)  It’s a shame there aren’t more guys on 222, because it’s just a fantastic band.  There’s less atmospheric noise on 222, vs. 50 or 144 MHz.  Plus it sure seems like that watt-for-watt, db-for-db, signals get out farther and louder on 222, compared to 144. 

   If you want to get on 222 SSB, you have a few options. 
   1)  Most technically-proficient guys will use a transverter and get the benefit of lower noise figures, superior adjacent signal rejection, and probably a few other things a techno-putz like me isn’t thinking of right now.   Use Google and search “222 MHz transverters” to see what all is available these days. 

   2)  You can try to find the rare and very expensive Icom 375H and 375A rigs.  These were made for a short time, and are valued collector’s items.  

   3)  Is the direction I went.  I found a Yaesu FT-736R and then acquired the optional 222 MHz band module.   Yaesu also made FT-726R’s and here, too, you want to make sure the rig you’re interested in has the optional 222 band module installed.

10:45am Sunday

Continuing with the Fall 2013 posts highlighting reliable options for hearing activity on SSB portions of bands lke 50, 144, 222 and 432 MHz —

The main message is I want hams to know that Monday is a big night for 2m SSB activity across much of the USA.   Many times, guys give 2m SSB a brief try.  They don’t know where/when to find signals, and lose interest.  If the 700,000+ hams in the USA and Canada all knew where and when they could hear actual signals on the SSB portions of bands like 50, 144, 222 and 432 MHz, we’d have several thousand new ops within a month.   12-13 years ago, I had *NO* clue guys worked hundreds of miles on these bands, using SSB mode and horizontal yagis or loops.  I am continually amazed so few hams know about this DX potential on bands thought to be for “local communications”.

1)  K8TQK is on 144.252 at 8:30pm eastern time every Monday, from EM89je, south-central OH.  Giant signal that covers many states and VE-3.  Bob’s antenna pattern is to first look N, then NE, E, SE, S, SW, W and NW over the next 45-60 minutes.  Look toward EM89 on Monday nights and see what you hear.   You can also follow along via the ON4KST.com ham chat.  (Use the IARU Region 2 Chat for 144-432 MHz.  No idea what the ON4KST.com ham chat is about?  The details are here:  http://kc9bqa.com/?p=1072 )

2)  We’re fortunate in WI that someone nearby promotes regular 432.110 MHz activity.  432 activity happens on Monday and Thursday nights at 8pm central, courtesy of N4PZ, who is a little SW of Rockford, IL, in EN52gb.    Steve has a box of yagis and a legal limit amp, so his 432 signal gets out a very long way.   I believe N4PZ starts out looking SW and then swings his yagis counter-clockwise, or S, SE, E, NE, N, NW and then W.   You should get on 432 and say hello and see who else you can work — N4PZ is always trying to setup contacts between check-ins; it’s a lot of fun.  I’ve also noticed (as of summer/fall 2013) that N4PZ is using the ON4KST.com ham chat now.
EDIT, May 2013 — The 432 activity now takes place every night, on 432.110, starting about 7:30pm central time.  N4PZ and the group cover a wide territory and they’re always looking for more activity.

If your focus is on what is easily heard from WI on Monday nights, you’re done.

For those who like more detail, or might be from other states, read on.
These other nets are farther away from WI, but there will be nights with enhancement, so it’s good to know all your options.  I’m sure there are other Monday nets, but I’m trying to stick within a Midwest/Great Lakes/Plains territory.

3)  W4TMW calls the North GA net from EM84ni on 144.210 at 8pm eastern.   His antenna pattern is to look *south* first, then SW, W, NW, N, NE, E, and SE over the next 30-60 minutes or so.   I’ve seen net reports of W4TMW’s and they include plenty of signals beyond 100-200 miles so this is a popular net with good range.

4)  W5VHF Net at 8pm central on 144.190.  Net control is KD5ZVE in EM26, OK.  Look just northeast of Tulsa, OK.  K5SW Sam is the backup if Jimmy can’t go.  Not sure which directions they rotate in.   I’ve seen net reports where they have 30-35 check-ins, so again, this is an active, popular net with good reach.   EDIT 4/23/14 — I see that KD5ZVE has a new callsign — N5NET.  So net control here is N5NET Jimmy.   Same net, same good reach, just a new callsign for net control.

5)  Rochester, NY net at 9pm eastern on 144.260.  Don’t know much about this one.  You could Google Rochester VHF Group and learn more that way.   I do see VA3VEC on the ON4KST.com chat, promoting this net on Monday nights, so it is up and running.

6)  Guelph, ONT net at 9pm eastern on 144.245.  Net control is VE3XTM in EN93.    Because VE3XTM runs multiple nets on different bands and nights, there’s a post specifically about his nets.   Click here:  http://kc9bqa.com/?p=6606

7)  Rocky Mountain VHF runs a nice slate of nets on various bands and nights.  Visit   http://www.rmvhf.org/wordpress/?page_id=1239 for the full scoop.  Their 144.220 net is on Monday nights at 8pm mountain time, from the Denver area.